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Thursday, 27 September 2012

Leading
Anti-Human Trafficking Organization Also Urges the White House and
Congress to Combat Sexual Violence Further and Press Their Dutch
Counterparts to Address Criminal Child Rape Complaints Against Holland's
Justice Ministry Secretary-General Joris Demmink

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2012 -- The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, a leading Washington-based anti-human trafficking organization dedicated to combatting sexual and physical violence against vulnerable children and women, today applauded the Obama Administration's executive order "strengthening protections against trafficking in persons in federal contracts." In its statement, however, the Rebecca Project for Human Rights also urges the Obama Administration and Congress to take stronger action against all countries that are not combatting human trafficking sufficiently, including the Netherlands, a country which has allowed an accused pedophile, Joris Demmink, to remain as Secretary-General of Holland's Ministry of Justice.

The Rebecca Project for Human Rights Executive Director Imani Walker and Policy Director Kwame Fosu issued the following statement: "With the Obama Administration's executive order mandating that government contractors enact a compliance program to prevent human trafficking, the United States has taken the lead in the global fight against those who prey on the most vulnerable – women and children. Predatory practices such as misleading recruitment or destroying a contracted employee's identification documents lead to sexual and physical violence against women and children.

"However, more than requiring contractors to enact compliance measures can and must be done. Human trafficking cannot end in a contractor's human resources department. As The Washington Times reports, the Obama administration last week granted federal aid waivers to some countries with the worst human-trafficking abuses. Even with some of Washington's closest allies, the Obama Administration and many in Congress remain timid in raising the ugly truth about trafficking.

"In quite possibly the most disturbing instance of the United States turning a blind eye to human trafficking, Washington continues to not raise the issue of accused pedophile Joris Demmink remaining as Secretary-General of the Dutch Justice Ministry. The Obama Administration and Congress must continue the battle against the global scourge of human trafficking and press their Dutch counterparts as to why Mr. Demmink remains in a position of power, in which he controls the very law enforcement and administrative investigative bodies that should be investigating the accusations of child rape against him. Four brave U.S. Congressmen – Representatives Joseph Pitts (R-PA), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Ted Poe (R-TX) – have investigated the allegations against Mr. Demmink and raised questions with their colleagues in the European Union and with Turkey, where Demmink is accused or raping minor boys. Momentum must build as Washington takes the lead in combatting human trafficking. No country should be absolved of allowing sexual violence to occur against women and children, including the Netherlands."

The Rebecca Project for Human Rights (RPHR) is a transformational organization that advocates for justice, dignity, and reform for vulnerable women and girls in the United States and Africa. For more information, please visit: http://www.rebeccaproject.org/index.php

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